Scientists have just discovered a key immune system gene that could allow us to turn our immune system off and on like a light switch. Suffice it to say, it could be what we've needed to combat infectious diseases including HIV, hepatitis and tuberculosis!

The gene is called Arih2, and is found in dendritic cells, which act as immune system sentinels by alerting the body to dangerous foreign invaders. Activating it supercharges our body's immunity, and helps vaccines work waaaaay better!

Here's what one researcher said:

"During evolution, some organisms have evolved ways of exhausting our immune system to the point where the immune system just switches off, and this is what happens in HIV, hepatitis B and tuberculosis. This discovery has significant implications for manipulating the immune response to infections and suppressing chronic inflammation or autoimmunity, because we can target this gene to try to push immune responses in one or other direction - either promoting it or suppressing it. It is probably one of the few genes and pathways that is very targetable and could lead to a drug very quickly."

Brilliant!

Science will never stop blowing out minds, hopefully. We're pretty sure we're on the cusp of some major breakthroughs in the next few years!

This isn't the first time the 39-year-old's figure has caused controversy. As we reported in January, the American Pie stunner was accused of using Photoshop to make her already narrow waist even smaller.

Reid has admitted to getting plastic surgery in the past to make changes to her abdominal area and breasts -- but the actress asserts that she naturally has a lean shape.